


You're Beautiful

by urfriendlyneighborhoodpan



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/F, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 04:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6550627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urfriendlyneighborhoodpan/pseuds/urfriendlyneighborhoodpan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"—she suddenly wanted to get the prettiest flowers for the prettiest person she knew." (rukihime)</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Beautiful

“Looking to buy some flowers, young lady?”

Rukia quickly stepped away from the display window, hands flying up as if she’d been caught in the middle of a crime. An elderly man she presumed the owner lifted his bushy eyebrows down at her, waiting for her to gather her bearings patiently.

“I—I am, yes,” she finally said, adjusting her sleeves until her nerves soothed.

“Anything in mind?” he asked, gesturing toward the display. “Is it for a special occasion?”

“Nothing special,” she was quick to say, although she had to wonder at the truth of that statement. She had no particular reason to buy them, really, but the day seemed right for it. The sun shining, the birds singing, the way the clouds streaked the sky so beautifully—she suddenly wanted to get the prettiest flowers for the prettiest person she knew.

What happened to catch her eyes was this simple bouquet of pastel pink roses, spotted with these curious little white carnations. The elderly man must have caught her gaze drifting toward it, because his eyes crinkled at the edges and he turned to head back into his shop, waving at her to follow him.

She nervously watched him pull the bunch of flowers from their display, clasped her hands around her back and tiptoed along behind him as he moved to the front counter to wrap them. He paused by a rack of colorful ribbons and looked back at her.

“Any color you’d prefer?”

This she took into careful consideration, rubbed her chin in contemplation as she regarded the different colors hung before her. She reached out to touch her fingers to one strip, this silken ribbon that gleamed very much like a pearl. “This one is… This one is perfect,” she said, and fell back for the elderly man to free it from its place.

“A popular choice among young couples,” he commented offhandedly, moving to the counter.

Rukia’s face grew hot. “I can see why,” she offered, adjusting her sleeves again.

He carefully went about wrapping the flowers. “You seem keyed up, young lady.”

“Not at all,” she insisted, reaching into her satchel for her wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

.x.

She hurried down the street clutching the bouquet to her chest, heart pounding inexplicably. All things considered, she had come into this situation confident in her decision. But now, as her mind began to race with predictions of the outcome, she was beginning to wonder if she had thought any of it through at all.

Were the flowers really as pretty as she had thought? Would a box of chocolates fare better? Or what about a cute little teddy bear? Flowers were pretty standard, but they _would_ eventually wither away. At least chocolates could be eaten.

Her face burned again, but she couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment at her over thinking or the situation in general. She slowed down to look at the flowers again, to press her nose to the velvety petals of a rose and gather her confidence right back up.

“Come on,” she mumbled to herself, hugging the flowers. “Come on, you’ve come this far.”

Another block and she would reach her destination, but every step closer made her heart clench harder and her nerves tighten further. She was so nervous by the time she was standing outside she had to turn away to catch her breath.

Before she could come to the irrational decision to give up and walk away, the bell above the entrance chimed and a sweet voice floated gently to her ears: “Kuchiki-san!”

She jumped, spun around, and quickly hid the bouquet behind her back. “I—I—” she struggled to speak, face burning and eyes far too wide.

The pretty girl standing at the entrance of a tiny bakery was busy undoing the apron around her waist, but the warmest smile was directed at _her_.

Rukia’s nerves settled instantly. “I just wanted to stop by,” she sighed, returning the smile.

“Come on in! We’re closing early today, so I won’t be long!”

There was a box on the front counter piled with sweet bread, and Orihime made a beeline for it, taking up the bag beside it and gathering the box in her hands. The display case had been cleared and the kitchen locked down, although a faint waft of cinnamon still lingered in the air, pleasantly tickling her senses. She could see a bit of flour stuck to Orihime’s elbow, and before she could think it through she reached over to rub it off with her own sleeve.

A pair of wide honey eyes turned to her, and her heart flew right up to her throat.

“I—” Rukia began to say, scrambling for an excuse.

But Orihime only smiled, melting away any lie she could make up.

“What are those flowers for?” she suddenly asked, and Rukia was right back to square one.

“What flowers?” She panicked, hiding them behind her again.

Orihime’s brow furrowed, peering around her. “They’re very pretty, are you planning to thank the Kurosaki family for letting you stay with them again? If you’d like, I’d be happy to accompany you over there. I was gonna drop by and leave them some of this bread.”

Lying would have been the easiest route. It would only be natural for her to want to thank the family who had so graciously showed her the hospitality they had, and it was no secret the younger twin was a big fan of flowers in particular. And Rukia had taken such a liking to the young girl, it wouldn’t be strange at all for her to go out of her way to buy her flowers.

But Rukia was by no means a dishonest person, and to start lying now when it mattered the most would perhaps be the worst thing she could do.

She took a deep breath, set aside her cowardice, rushed out, “These are actually for you, I got them for you—just for you and no one else,” and shoved the bouquet right into Orihime’s face.

Orihime dropped the box of bread, but thankfully not a single one fell from the pile.

A long moment of silence stretched between them, and every single insecurity reared up in Rukia’s chest until she couldn’t breathe anymore.

“I’ll just—”

“Oh, Kuchiki-san,” Orihime breathed, pressing her face into the flowers. “They’re so beautiful, thank you.”

Rukia stifled the urge to say, “ _You’re_ beautiful.”

She wondered when she’d turned into such a sap.

“I should’ve gotten _you_ something!” she exclaimed, cradling the bouquet to against her.

“Oh, you don’t have to,” Rukia assured, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets and shrugging her shoulders. “I just…saw them and thought of you… You know, ‘cause they’re so…pretty.”

Orihime’s cheeks colored sweetly. “I don’t think flowers could do you justice anyway.”

Rukia was on cloud nine.

“How about… How about we get to taking the bread to the Kurosaki family?” Orihime suggested, paused, and then added, “If you’d like, you could come with me to get some ice cream? To…repay you for these?”

“You don’t have to!” Rukia insisted, but was quick to assure, “I’d like to, but you don’t have to repay anything!”

“Then let’s call it a date.”

“A…wha…?”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to!”

“I want to!”

Orihime pressed her lips against a rose. “Then it’s a date.”

Rukia fidgeted with her sleeves. “A date. Yeah.”

Once Orihime had fished the keys from her pocket, Rukia stooped to pick up the box of bread, and they both stepped out onto the street. They walked side by side down the sidewalk toward the Kurosaki household.

Rukia considered taking Orihime’s hand, but the box saved her from making any rash decisions.

All the same, at the end of the block, Orihime leaned over to press her lips to Rukia’s hair as gently as if she were kissing the petal of a rose.

 **.** x **.**


End file.
